Piano With Connor

ConnorRita has been filling the house with holiday music this season. 

Christmas Time

Yay it is almost Christmas! Both boys had Holiday class parties this week, we had our big white elephant party a few weeks ago, our holiday lights outside are THE BOMB.COM, Christmas Jammies for the boys have been purchased, Christmas Cards went out and we are READY to fly out to Ohio on Christmas Eve to see baby Sawyer and drive up to Cleveland to see Jordan and Emma Clare.

 Ryan making a gingerbread house

 Made the nativity scene because it was 68 degrees out and I wanted to stain a piece of wood in the sun

 took two girlfriends to see Bad Mom's Christmas while the kids were at school

 Easy and cheap little gifts for school staff

Sawyer all set for Christmas

Sawyer John

My adorable newest nephew was born on November 28th, 2017. The night before he was born I read his parents, Travis & Cynthia this delightful and festive rendition of twas the night before Christmas that I had written.

Twas the Night Before Sawyer

The onesies were hung in the nursery with care

In hopes that Baby Clark would soon be there

Ezra was nestled warm in her bed

While visions of night feedings danced in Cindy’s head

And Cindy in her nursing top 

and Trav in his Apres Cap,

Had just settled their thoughts for a quick nap

When down in Cind’s lap their was a loud splash

Trav asked what that was, then took out the trash

What to their wondering eyes should appear, 

but a pile of water and a look of fear

I knew in a moment Baby Clark was to be born

Contractions had started and to Trav she had sworn

More rapid than Braxton Hicks they came, 

and Trav shouted out the list of 3 names;

Bartholomew, Sawyer, or Hudson

To the top of the parking garage,

to the top of the hospital floor

Dash Cindy up 

Dash Cindy up

3 pushes more

As the baby crowned and came rather quick

Cindy was happy the epidural she did pick

With the nurse’s arms full with the Baby

I heard in the hall 

the cheering of Grandparents and many a phone call

As Cindy drew her head down to look at her Boy

her mind and her heart were over come with joy

he was dressed in a swaddle

from his head to his toe

and his clothes were only a blanket no girly bow

His eyes how they twinkled, his dimples so cute

his cheeks were all rosey, his mouth it did root

His drool-ey little mouth was drawn up like a bow

His chin covered in spit up as white as snow

Baby Clark spoke not a word, but went straight to work
And filled his little belly, then turned with a jerk

Then laying his finger on his Mom’s boob

they circumcised him and added some lube

He sprang to his incubator, to the medical team gave a toot

then away the team flew, Aunt Heather had given them the boot

I heard the Doctor exclaim as he walked out of sight,

Don’t worry Travis I sewed her up tight!

Ray & I travel back to Ohio for a quick 24 hrs for a work holiday party, but in reality mostly to meet the newest Clark!

Future Self

Today for school you had to "dress as your future self" and do a little presentation on what you will be when you grow up. If you know me at all then you probably know that all our feel good memories come from the summer at the lake. No surprise to anyone Ryan wants to be a fishing guide when he grows up.

9 years

I can't believe I've been doing this blog for 9 years! My memory has never been very good so it is so fun to look back and actually have some facts on a few things. Cynthia (Travis' wife) is 37w6d today! My water broke when I was that day and we had Con at 38W weighing in at 6lbs 2oz, so I'm excited for Cynthia to have made it farther than I did, and hopefully with a bigger baby!

Did you see on snapchat that I posted we are adding an addition to our family? Not the adopted or fostered child that I have been relentlessly asking Ray for for the last 5 years, but a PUPPY none the less. A poodle and a sheep dog are going to make us a baby; a Sheepa-doodle I believe is what they call it. Ray has been wanting a BIG dog for his mountain man ways and I finally caved in a moment of weakness. Big poop, big appetite and big energy are all I keep envisioning. Pup will be here probably when we get back from summering in Okoboji.

 Fall travel soccer ended on Saturday

 Winter indoor soccer started on Tuesday. Mama needs a break man! Connor is doing an advanced math class 2 days a week, piano one day a week and indoor soccer one day a week. Aka I am in the carpool lane ALL THE TIME

 We started a new novel, we are hoping it takes us until Christmas week to finish. Holes. We plan to end with the movie (which the kids don't know exists, so don't ruin it)

 Chopped my hair off

 Hopefully our puppy is as adorable and irresistible as this Sheepadoodle

I had an empty frame that was begging for art work. Ryan accommodated. 

My two front teeth

Ryan lost his second tooth last night.

He wiggled it out while watching TV. He asked me that night while putting it under his pillow if the tooth fairy was real. I just couldn't bring myself to say No. He is my baby and I need him to still believe.

Piano

We got Connor a keyboard with a stand and bench for his birthday. Let the music concerts begin! Lessons start with an elementary school music teacher on November 1st.

Soccer

For as much as soccer consumes our lives, hopefully it doesn't consume all our blog posts. Connor had a 4 game tournament this weekend. Team EXTREME dominated only allowing one goal for the whole weekend.
I wasn't feel great, but watching Con play soccer is one of my favorite things so I went to 3 out of 4 of the games. Probably shouldn't have, now I feel like I have the flu and want to die.

 Luca, Diego, Kevin, Connor, Gabe (Camden behind) Arnav, Own, Nick, O'Malley

Coach Alfredo and Carlos

Lindsay & Dan

So glad we got to go see Dan & Lindsay tie the knot!

We so rarely get all fancy, can't believe this is our one and only picture of the 4 of us.
Who would have thought for a wedding at the end of September in Columbus it would be 91 degrees and super humid. These westerner's were not prepared for that type of weather or the mosquitos. Lindsay was a beautiful bride and she had a great ceremony. They did this wine box thing which was a really cool idea I had never heard of. Both the bride and groom have their own key and they both have to put it in the box and turn the key at the same time to get it to open. When opened their are letters inside from each other and couples who have been married a very long time with advice on marriage, love and fighting fairly.  We wish you a life time of love and happiness!

Connor's 8th Birthday Party

Although I am suffering through my tonsillectomy I decided that we should have Connor's party this weekend. My thought was this; one Grandma and Grandpa have never lived in the same state as us and as a result never get to be here for big moments like birthday parties and first days of school (now this year they can say they were in attendance for both). Secondly if I wasn't feeling good I knew all my amazing friends would understand and instead of a big fun adult party would fling their kids out of a mostly stopped car and instead of hanging with us for a night of drinking and fun would instead have a quick happy hour date while we (and by we I mean the game truck) entertained their child.

This year we let Connor make the list of who he wanted to invite. He probably could have fit 25 kids in the game truck but he asked his 10 best friends to come. It was awesome, it was in Connor's words, A PERFECT DAY!

There were two girls invited, one was sick and the other got stung by a bee and had to leave before the pictures were taken.

 I only wish I had felt better so I could have kicked Grandpa's Butt at Mario Kart

 Serious

Funny

Fun Run

It was a beautiful day for the boys to run their school fundraiser fun run!

                                          Connor & Emma

                                         Connor & Lilah

                                         Mrs. Christensen's 2nd Grade Class. That is Connor in the front with the Trooper mask on.

Update Stair Rail Ballisters

Another example of less birch in our lives. We love the Colorado feel but these poor 90 ballisters were beat up and we were ready to see them go.

Blinking

It is so true what they say about "you blink and they are all grown up". I was talking to a first time school-ager Mom this morning and she was talking about how she is going to blink and her 3 year old is going to be in kindergarten. I still feel like Connor is in Kindergarten, it is just crazy how fast time is going by. Ray and I look at Ryan every day and see his toddler/baby/preschool face disappearing and him morphing into Connor. Yesterday I knew Ryan was in the shower but had to do a double take when I grabbed him towel as I could have sworn it was Connor stepping out.

 Soccer is back in full swing, Connor had his first tournament this season

 Ryan was given a sunflower seedling at the end of preschool and here it is, 7 feet tall

Back to school Movie night, we almost didn't go, but these are the memories I love and need to remember are important to us as a family

 One more piece of gold gone from this house

Hello 2017

Ryan got some new ski's. We might have accidentally left his last pair in the parking lot at Keystone last year. Oops. He has grown so much anyways he probably needed new ones. 

All Systems Go

We are running at 100% these days. School is going, soccer is going, Ray is traveling; this all means we are back in the rhythm of our daily routines.

Ry guy had the CUTEST little birthday party to date in his 6 years of living. We had his class come over, get to know each other, bounce in a bounce house and eat cupcakes. All the little siblings couldn't get enough of the two story tree house, which frankly was freaking me out!

 Ryan is doing morning Kindergarten and his teacher is exactly what you think of when you think of a  sweet Kindergarten teacher. He is LOVING it! Small class size, 17; (only 7 boys). He has found a girl named Bridget who likes to fish and hunt. He said he is considering marrying her, but he propossed to his current girl friend over a year ago at church so the dilemma for him is REAL.

Ryan lost his first tooth this weekend. Tooth Fairy gave him $5. He took that and his birthday money and went to Cabella's to buy a drone.